How Coconut Oil Can Boost Metabolism, Making You Burn More Calories at Rest

Different foods and macronutrients go through different metabolic pathways.

The different types of foods we eat can have a huge effect on our hormones and metabolic health.

Some metabolic pathways are more efficient than others and some foods require more energy to digest and metabolize.

One important property of coconut oil is that it is “thermogenic” – eating it tends to increase energy expenditure (fat burning) compared to the same amount of calories from other fats (4).

In one study, 15-30 grams (1 to 2 tablespoons) of medium chain fats per day increased energy expenditure by 5%, totaling about 120 calories per day (5).

Several other studies confirm these findings. When humans replace the fats they are eating with MCT fats, they burn more calories (6).

Therefore, a calorie from coconut oil is NOT the same as a calorie from olive oil or butter (although these fats are perfectly healthy too).

Bottom Line: Many studies show that medium chain triglycerides can boost metabolism, in one study increasing energy expenditure by 120 calories per day.

Coconut Oil Can Reduce Appetite, Making You Eat Less Without Trying

“Weight loss is all about calories in, calories out.”

Even though I think this is a drastic oversimplification, it is mostly true.

If your body expends more energy (calories) than it takes in, then you will lose fat.

But even though it is true that we need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, it doesn’t mean that calories are something that we need to count or be consciously aware of.

Humans are very capable of remaining lean and healthy in their natural environment. The obesity epidemic didn’t start until 1980 and we didn’t even know what a calorie was back in the day.

Anything that reduces our appetite can make us take in fewer calories without having to think about it. It appears that coconut oil has this effect.

Many studies on medium chain fatty acids show that, compared to the same amount of calories from other fats, they increase feelings of fullness and lead to an automatic reduction in calorie intake (7).

This may be related to the way these fats are metabolized. It is well known that ketone bodies (which the liver produces when you eat coconut oil) can have a powerful appetite reducing effect (8, 9, 10).

Whatever the mechanism is, it works. In one study of 6 healthy men, eating a high amount of MCTs caused them to automatically eat 256 fewer calories per day (11).

In another study of 14 healthy men, those who ate MCTs at breakfast ate significantly fewer calories at lunch (12).

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Comments

C.O. is the best thing to make popcorn in your large 3Q saucepan on the stove top. The popcorn pops into snow white kernels and after you add your salt and other flavors the taste is beyond awesome! Not sure why the movie theaters are no jumping on to this “healthier” alternative but it’s worth a try….

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